Obituaries

AVMA member

AVMA honor roll member

Nonmember

Frank L. Black

Dr. Black (COL ’59), 72, Colorado Springs, Colo., died May 4, 2008. During his more than 40-year practice career, he owned and served as a partner at Airway Veterinary Hospital and, later, at the North Academy Animal Hospital, both in Colorado Springs. Most recently, Dr. Black worked with the Animal Science Department at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Early in his career, Dr. Black served as an instructor and assistant professor of large animal medicine and surgery at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.

A veteran of the Air Force, Dr. Black was an assistant base veterinarian from 1959-1962. During that time, he served in the Mercury Project Animal Research Division, taking care of chimpanzees sent into space. Dr. Black was a member of the Colorado VMA and served as its delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates from 1988-1992. He also served on the Colorado Veterinary Medical Examining Board from 1975-1982. In 1991, Dr. Black was named Colorado Veterinarian of the Year. He served as an adviser to the Pikes Peak Humane Society and was appointed to the Colorado Racing Commission from 1995-1999.

Active in civic life, Dr. Black served on the board of directors of Pikes Peak Sertoma Club, Central Bank of Colorado Springs, El Paso County 4-H Foundation, and El Paso County Soil Conservation. He was a past president and past ride veterinarian for the Pikes Peak Range Riders. Dr. Black’s wife, Sally; a son; and a daughter survive him. Memorials may be made to Pikes Peak Range Riders Foundations, c/o Scott Smith, 1755 Telestar Drive, Suite 450, Colorado Springs, CO 80920; or Humane Society of Colorado Springs, 610 Abbott Lane, Colorado Springs, CO 80905.

John A. Clark

Dr. Clark (COR ’76), 56, Pawtucket, R.I., died Jan. 20, 2008. He owned Pawtucket Animal Clinic, a practice he established in 1993. Following graduation, Dr. Clark practiced large animal medicine in Geneva, N.Y. He became a partner in Cambridge Veterinary Associates in Cambridge, N.Y., in 1981. In 1988, Dr. Clark moved to Providence, R.I., where he practiced small animal medicine at the Warwick Animal Hospital. His wife, Sharon; a daughter; and a son survive him.

Ottis V. Grounds

Dr. Grounds (COL ’45), 85, Kansas City, Mo., died May 13, 2008. During his 43-year career, he established the Eastwood Hills Animal Hospital in Kansas City. Dr. Grounds also founded one of the first mobile veterinary clinics in the country. He was a past president of the Kansas City and Northwest Missouri VMAs, and a lifetime member of the Missouri Veterans Association. Dr. Grounds served in the Army during World War II and as a captain in the Air Force during the Korean War. His wife, Betty; three sons; and a daughter survive him. Memorials may be made to the Kansas City Hospice House, 12000 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64145; or Blue Ridge Blvd. United Methodist Church, 5055 Blue Ridge Blvd., Raytown, MO 64133.

Lawrence I. Halpert

Dr. Halpert (MID ’43), 87, West Palm Beach, Fla., died Dec. 9, 2007. He owned Saugus Animal Hospital in Saugus, Mass., for more than 40 years. Dr. Halpert was a life member of the Massachusetts VMA, a member of the American Animal Hospital Association, and a veteran of World War II. His life partner, Helen Vine; a son; and a daughter survive him.

Harold J. Hill

Dr. Hill (COL ’46), 85, Florence, Ala., died Dec. 2, 2007. From 1965 until retirement in 1990, he owned a small animal practice in Imperial Beach, Calif. Following graduation, Dr. Hill joined the veterinary faculty at Colorado State University. While there, he helped develop the specialty of theriogenology and established the bull farm at the university’s Foothills campus. Dr. Hill was also instrumental in working with the Eisenhower administration to bring the Charolais breed of cattle to the United States.

In the late 1950s, Dr. Hill left CSU and joined the research staff at Armour and Company. He also worked with the San Diego Zoo to improve and study reproduction in wild animals, and was active with the National Western Stock Show in Denver. Dr. Hill was a member of the California and San Diego County VMAs.

Ralph A. Hulen

Dr. Hulen (MSU ’49), 87, Bowling Green, Mo., died Feb. 4, 2008. Prior to retirement, he owned a practice in Bowling Green for 33 years. Earlier, Dr. Hulen practiced at Fulton, Mo. During his career and in retirement, he also worked for the Department of Agriculture as a veterinary inspector. Dr. Hulen served in the Army Medical Corps during World War II, attaining the rank of major. His wife, Betty; a son; and a daughter survive him. Dr. Hulen’s brother-in-law, Dr. Lester D. Nordyke (MO ’58), is a veterinarian in Colombia, Mo. Memorials may be made to the First Christian Church, 15 N. High St., Bowling Green, MO 63334.

Priscilla Irwin

Dr. Irwin (COR ’80), 62, Geneva, N.Y., died Dec. 11, 2007.

Dale D. Keyser

Dr. Keyser (OSU ’49), 84, Martinsburg, W.Va., died March 3, 2008. He practiced large animal medicine in West Virginia’s Jefferson County and was a longtime official for the West Virginia Racing Commission and West Virginia Department of Agriculture at the stockyards. Dr. Keyser served as a medic under General Patton in the European theater during World War II. He was a member of the American Legion and Jefferson County’s Historical Society, 4-H Foundation, and Hospital Board. Dr. Keyser’s wife, Frances; three sons; and a daughter survive him. Memorials may be made to the Jefferson County 4-H Foundation, c/o Dennis Barron, 329 Shepherd Grade Road, Shepherdstown, WV 25443; or Jefferson County Animal Welfare, P.O. Box 147, Charles Town, WV 25414.

Vernon J. Miller

Dr. Miller (WSU ’52), 84, Newport, Wash., died Feb. 6, 2008. Before retiring in 1988, he practiced in Grand Coulee, Wash. Following graduation, Dr. Miller worked in Chewelah, Wash. In 1953, he moved to Davenport, Wash., where he owned a practice for more than 20 years. He then moved to Grand Coulee. Dr. Miller was an Army Air Corps veteran of World War II. He is survived by two daughters and two sons. One son, Dr. Douglas K. Miller (WSU ’78), practices in Fayetteville, N.C. Memorials may be made to the Morris Animal Foundation, 10200 E. Girard Ave. B430, Denver, CO 80231; or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Arthur P. Schneider

Dr. Schneider (WSU ’38), 96, Boise, Idaho, died Dec. 5, 2007. From 1945 until retirement in 1981, he served as Idaho state veterinarian. Following graduation, Dr. Schneider worked for the Department of Agriculture in Idaho at Moscow and Lewiston. In 1941, he was appointed director of the Idaho Bureau of Animal Industry. Dr. Schneider was with the California Department of Agriculture from 1943-1945.

He was Idaho’s delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates from 1954-1971, served as president of the United States Animal Health Association from 1960-1961, and was appointed to the National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners in 1970. Dr. Schneider was a past president of what is now the Western Veterinary Conference, past member of the Idaho Board of Veterinary Medicine, and secretary of the Idaho VMA for 35 years. In 1972, he was named Idaho Veterinarian of the Year.

Dr. Schneider is survived by his son. Memorials may be made to the Idaho Humane Society, 4775 Dorman St., Boise, ID 83705.

Thomas D. Yonkers

Dr. Yonkers (MSU ’74), 64, Delton, Mich., died Jan. 22, 2008. From 1977 until retirement in 2001, he worked for the Pharmacia & Upjohn Company in Kalamazoo, Mich. During that time, Dr. Yonkers was involved in research and development, regulatory affairs, and technical services, focusing on companion animal products and programs. Early in his career, he practiced at Clark Veterinary Clinic in Hastings, Mich., for two years, and owned a practice in Middleville, Mich., for a year. During retirement, Dr. Yonkers worked for the Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for a year.

His wife, Terri; two sons; two daughters; and three stepchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123.